A good night’s sleep is an important influence on ‘Good Mornings’ and essential brain development occurs when your baby sleeps, as they process everything they have learnt during the day.
Parenting on Female First
But babies don’t just automatically sleep through the night, they often need to learn how, just like crawling and walking!
Pampers Love, Sleep & Play Baby Sleep Expert, Jo Tantum, shares her top tips for teaching your baby to learn to love sleep so you can look forward to brighter mornings together:
Set the scene
Try to set a scene that is appropriate for bedtime such as ensuring that lights are switched off or dimmed and that the room is neither too cold nor too hot. Creating a tranquil environment will help baby understand when it is time for sleep.
Routine is key
Routine will help your little one to know when it is night-time. By doing the same things before bedtime such as giving your baby a bath, cuddle, lullaby, and fresh nappy, she will begin to associate these activities with sleep.
Keep to a schedule
As with establishing a sleep routine, the daily cycle is also important. By having ‘active times’ and ‘quiet times’ your baby will become familiar with when it is time to play and when it time for sleep.
Distinguish between night and day
Ensure that your baby’s environment is different between night and day so that your little one recognises that light means it is time for play and that dark is time for sleep. Also try to be quieter and less interesting when it is night time so your little one understands that it is not playtime.
Self-soothing
All babies will wake in the night but they will need to learn how to self-soothe. If you hear your baby stirring try to refrain from going in straight away to settle her. Instead, pause a moment and give her a chance to send herself back to sleep. Eventually she will be able to nod off without your help.
Sleep changes and development are linked
Your baby will move considerably in the night so ensuring that she remains comfortable is essential. It is advisable to use a nappy with superior leakage protection.
Your baby will have growth spurts. During these times, she will likely want to feed more, day and night so try to be aware of when your little one is going through one of these phases. Similarly, teething may cause your little one some discomfort and thus disrupt her sleep. Teething rings can help ease the pain and distract baby.
Be realistic
Stay positive and trust your instincts. Keeping a diary of your baby’s sleep patterns may also help you understand when and why she wakens and remember that every baby is different so what may work for another baby may not work for your little one.
Tagged in Parenting Advice baby health Baby Parenting Tips Baby Tips